Thursday, 11 December 2014

Bangkok Wedding Tripper Returned With Electric Stun Gun And CS Gas

A Bishop's Stortford man, who
returned from a pal's wedding in Bangkok with an illegal stun gun and
c.s. gas in his luggage and racially abused the customs man who
stopped and searched him at Heathrow Airport, has received a suspended
prison sentence.James William Forbes, 28, a
National Grid employee, of Waytemore Road swore at the UK Border
Agency officer and said: “I see you let all the foreigners in and
picked the English out.”When told by officer Manzar Akhtar
he would be subject to a body search after the weapons were found in
his luggage Forbes added: “Do you want to look at my arse? That's
what you muslims do.”He pleaded guilty to two counts of
possessing a prohibited weapon, namely the stun gun disguised as a
torch and the c.s. gas and one count of racially aggravated
harassment at the airport's Terminal Five on February 11.Prosecutor Mr. Ravinder Johal told
Isleworth Crown Court it was 6.20pm when Forbes, who was travelling
alone was stopped in the 'nothing to declare' green channel and his
luggage checked.When asked for the combination to
his suitcase's lock by officer Akhtar the defendant replied: “F***
off. You heard you c***. Do what you f***ing want.”The suitcase was cut open and the
functioning electric stun gun found along with a 'NATO' c.s. gas can
and a poster depicting a variety of handguns.When quizzed by police Forbes
expressed surprise about the weapons being found in his luggage,
explaining the gun poster was for his bedroom wall and that he had
consumed ten miniature bottles of wine on the long-haul flight.His lawyer Miss Marion Mullen
said: “This defendant comes from a very, very respectable family.
He is very, very remorseful indeed.“He was out with friends for a
wedding in Thailand. They stopped at a market on the way to the
airport and he bought the items, which are legal in that country and
never intended to use them.“If it had not been for
excessive drinking with friends in Thailand this offence would never
have happened.”Forbes was in danger of being
imprisoned for a five-year statutory minimum, but Judge Aiden Mannon
ruled there were “exceptional circumstances” to suspend the
prison sentence.“These items were quite legal
for you to purchase in that country and they would not have been put
to a nefarious purpose here.“Consider yourself highly
fortunate.”Forbes was sentenced to eighteen
months imprisonment, suspended for two years, ordered to perform 150
hours community service, comply with twelve months probation, which
includes a Drinkwise course and pay £400 costs and an £80 victim
surcharge.”